Apparatus for the fluid treatment of textile materials



' c, K. FlCK Aug. 5, 1 958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1955 R w O. E m n a & M A w A m w i n .l 0 0 a a w 2 ,0 4 4 4 J ul 7 I I l I 01 H 4 2 m 4 fl 5y; A J 7 W W; z

C. K. FlCK Aug. 5, 1958 APPARATUS FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF TEXTILE} MATERIALS Filed May 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENT R dam/KM nobwu ATTORNEYS f United States Patent APPARATUS FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS Charles K. Fick, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Dexdale Hosiery Mills, Lansdale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,182

Claims. (Cl. 68-189) This invention relates to a circulating system of the type in which it is desired to reverse the direction of flow of a fluid moving in the system and to a valve structure and piping arrangement which is useful in connection therewith. The valve, piping, and circulating system are particularly adapted for use in connection with equipment for the treatment of textiles with solutions and fluids and especially for equipment for the dyeing of piece goods and yarn in package or bulk form. The invention is especially adapted for use in connection with that general kind of equipment incorporating a shell or other enclosing vessel within which the fluids being handled are adapted to be reversely circulated.

In equipment of this kind presently used for the dyeing of textile and yarn goods, there are two openings in the shell of the dye kier or vessel through which a fluid medium is circulated. One opening is centrally located at the bottom of the shell and is usually referred to as the inside-out port. The second opening is located on the side of the shell and is usually referred to as the outsidein port. It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a valve and a simplified circulating system wherein the separate side opening to the shell is eliminated and in so doing to provide equipment and a circulating system in which the flow pattern through the treatment vessel is more uniformly and evenly distributed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new type of reversing valve and circulation system in which the number of joints, packings and the like, are reduced to a minimum and in which, for the most part, leakage which does occur is of little if any consequence since it can only take place between supply and discharge streams of the circulation system, instead of completely externally of the system.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a circulating system wherein the volume of liquid which must change direction of flow upon reversal is greatly reduced from that involved in reversing a conventional circulating system. In addition to reducing the reversing shock, the present system provides for less turbulence and increased over-all efliciency in the system.

Another aspect of the present circulating system and reversing valve is that pipe line friction losses are greatly minimized. These and other objects and advantages will appear more fully in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

These objectives are accomplished in accordance with this invention by providing a so-called four-way or reversing valve having but three external piping connections and by close coupling of the reversing valve with the treatment vessel, thereby greatly simplifying the circulating system and the piping appurtenant thereto.

According to the present invention, the valve is particularly adapted for use in a circulating system having a supply line, a return line, and a channel through which fluid can be made to flow alternatively'in either of two v 0 directions. 7 The valve comprlses a valve body havmg a 7 chamber therein, a connection coupling said chamber with the second end of the fiow channel and the other end of the valving conduit is movable to alternatively register with the supply line and the return line, thereby providing a passageway between the supply line and the second end of the flow channel when the movable end of the conduit is in one position, and providing a passageway between the return line and the second end of the channel when the movable end of the conduit is in a second position.

Such a valve is particularly useful in a circulating system which includes a channel external of the pumping means through which materials can be made to flow alternatively in either of two directions, and in which one terminal end of said channel surrounds the other end to form an outer channel end and an inner channel end. A valve including a valve body having a chamber therein, is connected with the flow channel and the supply and return piping, one connection coupling the valve chamber with the supply line, a second connection coupling the valve chamber with the return line, and a third connection coupling the valve chamber with the outer terminal end of the flow channel. Valving means, including a conduit, are positioned in the valve chamber, one end of the conduit being coupled with the inner terminal end of the flow channel and the other end of the conduit being movable to alternatively register with the supply and discharge connections to the valve.

The valve and system are especially adapted for use in equipment for the treatment of textile materials such as yarn, piece goods and fibers. Such equipment usually included a dye kier, or treatment vessel, a perforated carrier for the material to be treated, a reversing valve, pumping means, piping connecting the reversing valve with the carrier, piping connecting the reversing valve with the dye kier shell, piping connecting the reversing valve with the suction side of the pump and piping connecting the reversing valve with the discharge side-of the pump. However in equipment constructed inaccordance with the present invention the piping is so arranged that the piping elements connecting the reversing valve and the carrier are located internally of the piping connection between the reversing valve and the dye kier shell.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings. The invention, however, should not be construed as limited thereto.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates schematically a circulating system and a reversing valve arranged in accordance with the present invention as used in equipment for the dyeing of yarn on a carrier of the beam type. In Figure 1 the reversing valve is set to provide for outside-in circulation. Figure 1a illustrates the reversing valve shown in Figure 1 in a position to provide for inside-out circulation.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section in detail of a preferred valve made in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. Figure 2a illustrates an alternative way for journaling a modified form of the valving member illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a plan view from below of the valve of Figure 2. taken along section line 3-- -3 (certain parts have been omitted for clarity).

Figure 4 is a similar view as that shown in Figure 3, but the section is taken along line 44. However, the valving conduit is in a position intermediate a position which establishes complete registry of the conduit with the supply or discharge line openings.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the reversing valve comprises a valve body 20 having a chamber therein 21. Openings or ports 22 and 23 connect the chamber of the valve body with the supply and discharge lines (not shown in the figures referred to) of the circulating system respectively. To facilitate connecting the valve with the piping the ports are preferably provided with flanged fittings. However, any suitable type of coupling linkage can be utilized. The valve body is also provided at its upper end with a flange fitting 24 which is adapted for mounting the valve on the dye kier. Other suitable coupling means can also be used.

The dye kier, as shown in Figure 2, has an opening 25 centrally located at the bottom thereof. By coupling the valve to the kier at the kier opening a communicating passageway is provided between the kier and the chamber of the valve body. A gasket 26 is interposed between the fianges of the dye kier opening and the valve body.

Associated with the valve body and supported therefrom by spiders 27, 28 and 29 extending outwardly to the wall of the valve body is a seating element 30. This element in the particular embodiment shown in Figure 2 is tapered inwardly to correspond with and provide a seat for the end fitting 31 of the perforated carrier assembly 32. In Figure 1, the perforated carrier is a yarn beam type carrier. However any conventional type of carrier for yarn, piece goods, or raw stock can be used in lieu of the beam type carrier, and the seating element can be adapted to provide any proper seating connection; for example a fiat seat with a gasket. The lower end 34 of the seating element is machined to provide a mating bearing path for a valving conduit 37. The shouldered seating arrangement shown in Figure 2 also minimizes leakage between the high pressure (pumping) side and the low pressure (suction) side of the valve. When appropriate materials of construction are used for the seat and valving conduit, it is possible to provide a sufficiently close fitting bearing of the type illustrated in Figure 2 so that the hearing will act both as a journal bearing and as a thrust bearing. However, when materials such as stainless steel are used for these parts, it may be desirable to interpose a piston ring 38a in the journal path as shown in Figure 2a. This bearing path can be of any type which will permit shifting of the valving conduit within the valve bodyoften a simple sleeve, such as shown in Figure 2a, even without the split ring 38a will sufiice.

The valving conduit 37 is an elbow shaped member. For certain installations this elbow can be more or less than 90". Its upper end 38 is machined to match the machining of the lower end of the seating element. This mounting of the valving conduit on the seating element permits rotation of the valving conduit about an axis aligned co-axially with the journaled axis and thereby shifts the free end 39 of the conduit into and out of registry with the suction and discharge openings 22 and 23 of the piping system, and to provide for outside-in" circulation and inside-out circulation.

A bearing guide 40 is supported from spiders 41, 42 and 43 extending inwardly from the walls of the seating element. The valve body is also provided with a stufiing box 44 extending downwardly from the bottom of the valve body and axially aligned with the axis of rotation of the valving conduit. A valve stem 45 extends through the stufiing box; seating for its upper end is provided by the bearing guide 40. Where the valve stem penetrates the valve conduit, it is keyed at 46 to a boss 47 integral with the conduit to provide a fixed coupling between the conduit and the stem. When the journaling of the conduit andseat provides the necessary support, the bearing guide 40 and spiders 41--43 can be eliminated. This enables the use of a shorter stem and removes obstructing structural members from the flow stream path which increase frictional losses and decrease pumping elficiency. In such cases the stem can be secured to the conduit in any suitable manner which will enable movement of the conduit upon rotation of the stem. A hearing member 48 is aligned within the stutfing box, suitable packing 49 is positioned between the stem and the stuffing box and is held in position by means of a gland seal nut 50 and the bearing member. The stem can be actuated manually or by means of any suitable mechanism for imparting rotary motion thereto. As shown in Figure 2, the valve is actuated by an air piston 51 connected to the valve actuating lever 52 which is keyed to the valve stem. On rotating the valve stem the valve conduit will rotate about the axis of the stem on the journal path provided by the base fitting element and the upper end of the elbow. The unjournaled end of the elbow will move in a circular path and can be brought into register with either of the openings 22 or 23 which are connectedwith the supply or discharge lines of the circulating system. Accurate registry with the supply and discharge lines is assured by adjusting the throw of the air piston, and by varying the throw of the piston within predetermined limits, the conduit can be positioned in such a way as to provide bypassing action as will be described hereinafter.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the supply and return line openings leading to the chamber of the valve body are angularly offset, the distance d between the adjacent walls 221 and 231 of the valve openings being less than the diameter D of the elbow shaped conduit. When the conduit is in a position intermediate that which eflfects'complete registry of the conduit with the supply or discharge opening, e. g., a position such as is shown in Figure 4, a cross-connecting passageway 53 will be established between the supply and discharge lines while at the same time the direction of flow through the dye kier will remain unchanged. In this way it is possible to adjust the rate of flow through the dye kier without changing the speed of the pump. It is therefore possible to have the pump operating at all times at its normal pumping speed, and it is thereby possible to eliminate one of the valves and certain piping used in conventional textile treating equipment, i. e., the bypass valve 54 shown in Figure 1. In conventional machines the reversing valve is positioned more or less midway between the kier and the pump. Other conventional systems employ a reversible pump. However in both types of equipment the cross-connecting valve 54 is necessary and is used to compensate for differences in the resistance to passage of the dye liquor through the yarn on "outside-in and inside-out circulation.

As shown in Figure 3, a strainer 55 can be positioned within the base seating element of the valve and a screen 56, strainer, or baffie can be mounted within the dye kier surrounding the base of the yarn carrier so as to prevent the entry of foreign matter into the circulating system.

Referring now to Figures 1 and la, which schematically illustrate the use of a reversing valve 6 such as that shown in Figure 2 in equipment for the dyeing of yarn wrapped around a perforated beam type carrier.

In these figures the valve openings 8 and 7 which are connected with the supply line 4 and the discharge line 5 are angularly offset by Such angular spacing of these ports is also within the purview of this invention and the invention should not be construed as limited to an offset arrangement such as that shown in Figures 3 and 4. Any angular spacing can be used which is best adapted for the particular installation involved. However, when the angular olfset between adjacent port walls is greater than the diameter of the valving conduit, it will not be possible to utilize the valving conduit as a bypassing means as previously described.

A beam type yarn carrier 32 is shown positioned within the dye kier 1, and one end 10 of the carrier is coupled with the valving conduit 9. The system is charged with dye liquor fed from an expansion tank 12 by means of supply line 14 and pump 3. Thereafter the expansion tank may be isolated by means of valve 13, forming a completely closed circulating system including the dye e 1 t e p p g m a s 3 and he sso ted p ping 4 and 5 and heat exchanger 11. Make up dye liquor can be added from the expansion tank 12 while the equipment is operating at temperatures below the boiling point of the dye liquor. To accomplish this cut-off valves 13 and 61 in lines 14 and 60 are opened and dyestuif is introduced into the system from the expansion tank 12.

Dye liquor leaving the pump can flow either directly to the dye kier or all or part of the liquor can be bypassed through a heat exchanger when it is desired to heat the dye bath.

Supply line 4 is connected to an opening 8 of the reversing valve 6 and leads into the dye kier through the passageway 2 connecting the valve body with the dye kier outwardly of the carrier. Thus the dye liquor circulating in the system is forced from the outside to the inside of the yarn 32a wrapped around the perforated carrier 32 and thereafter passes through the valving conduit 9 which is in a position connecting valve opening '7 with the pump return line 5. After operating with the valving conduit 9 set in this position for a predetermined time interval, the valving conduit is shifted to the position shown in Figure la so that the discharge line from the pump is connected with the flow channel opening leading to the inside of the perforated carrier. When the conduit is in this position, the dye liquor is then forced through the yarn from the inside to the outside and then to the dye kier shell, from which it is returned to the pump through passageway 2, the valve body chamber 21, the valve opening 7 and return line 5.

The circulation of dye liquor is then reversed and the cycle repeated as necessary to provide for uniform dyeing of the yarn.

In conventional yarn dyeing equipment where the reversal of flow is accomplished by a reversible pump, the piping which connects the pump with the inside-out and outside-in ports of the kier must be of the same size because they function in a dual capacityalternatively acting as suction and discharge lines as the flow is reversed. However by close coupling the reversing valve to the dye kier as illustrated in Figure 1 these dual functioning pipes are eliminated and correctly proportioned supply and discharge piping can be used. The piping connecting the valve and the ptunp discharge can be of a smaller diameter than the piping connecting the pump suction and the valve, since these pipes do not have to function in a dual capacity but always act as discharge and suction lines.

Similarly in arrangements such as those just described the dye liquor feed line 14 can be located almost any- Where along the line leading to the suction side of the pump and the feed line need not be connected with the eye of the pump.

There are also dual functioning pipes which must be of the same size in conventional equipment where the reversing valve is placed more or less midway between the pump and dye kier. The elemination of the dual functioning pipes lowers the cost of the installation in addition to improving the efficiency of the system.

Further in equipment made in accordance with this invention, such as for example that shown in Figure 1, any shock and vibration brought about when the direction of flow is reversed will be confined to liquor in the dye kier. Shock and vibration in the piping system connecting the pump with the kier are eliminated. It should also be noted that the amount of fluid which must change direction on reversal is held to an absolute minimum, since there are no external pipe lines connecting the kier and reversing valve and therefore it is not necessary to change the direction of flow of material in those portions of the pipe lines connecting the kier and reversing valve as is done in conventional equipment.

In yarn dyeing equipment where reversal of flow through the system is accomplished by a reversible pump, the pipe inter-connecting the kier and the pump will, at

times, be a suction line and at other times it will be .a discharge line. Therefore the heat exchanger cannot without an exceedingly complex piping arrangement be located for most eflicient and effective operation. If the heat exchanger is located in the pump discharge line, on an outside-in cycle that line will become the return line on reversal of flow to provide for inside-out circulation. Thus in the latter cycle, heated dye liquor'cannot be fed directly to the dye kier. Further in this type of operation the heated liquor going to the suction of the pump may interfere with operation of the pump by causing flashing. In the system shown in Figure 1, the heat exchanger is connected in parallel with the pump discharge line and heated liquor in both outsidein circulation and inside-out circulation is directly fed to the kier.

The use of the circulating system of the present invention also enables the construction of a more compact unit in which the various auxiliary components can be more conveniently located and adapted to the needs of the particular installation involved.

In addition to the foregoing, the simplicity of valves and the circulating system of the present invention enables the valve to be close-coupled to the dye kier or treatment vessel. This allows for reversal of liquid flow with less turbulence in the system, eliminates reversing shock in the piping, and increases pumping efliciency by the minimization of pipe line friction losses.

In such systems very few joints or flanges are necessary in the piping system, thereby minimizing leakage and simplifying maintenance of the equipment. It is also to be observed that since the two ends of the flow channel and the cooperating connections with the reversing valve are arranged concentrically, one within the other, any leakage which tends to occur in this region will merely take place as between the supply and discharge sides of the system, rather than completely externally of the system.

In the equipment shown in Figure 1, it is possible to make repairs or adjustments inside the valve body chamber itself quickly and without breaking any flanges or sealed connections of the main piping system. This can be done by opening the dye kier, removing the carrier assembly and unbolting and removing baflle 56. This provides an opening through which it is possible to reach and remove the valving conduit 37 by unbolting the studs 57 which position the seating element 30 within the valve body 20.

This circulating system can also be advantageously used in connection with the drying of textiles in a closed circulating system. In this case the pump would be replaced by a blower and a fluid drying medium such as steam, air, or other fluid can be circulated through the system, the shifting between the outside-in and insideout flow tending to prevent the migration of the dye during the drying operation.

I claim:

1. A valve for use in circulating systems having pumping means, a supply line, a return line, and a flow channel having two terminal ends external of the pumping means through which fluid can be made to flow alternatively in either of two directions, body having a chamber therein; said chamber having an opening adapted to lead to the supply line, a second opening adapted to lead to the return line, and a third opening adapted to couple said chamber in fluid flow relationship to the first terminal end of the flow channel; valving conduit means positioned in the chamber, said means having two end openings, one of said conduit openings being adapted to couple the conduit in fluid flow relationship to the second terminal end of the flow channel, and the second of said conduit openings being movable between two positions to alternatively register with the chamber openings leading to the supply line and the return line; and when said movable conduit opening is in a position intermediate that which effects complete said valve comprising a valve registry of the conduit opening with either of the chamber openings leading to the supply line and the return line, portions of said conduit opening simultaneously penetrates the valve body and is secured-to a movable portion of the valving conduit, and packing means interposed between the stem and valve body where the stem penetrates the valve body.

3. A valve according to claim 1 wherein said valving conduit comprises an elbow shaped piece, said elbow being journaled at the end adapted to couple the conduit with the end of the flow channel, the other end of the elbow projecting laterally of the journal axis and upon rotation of the elbow providing for angular movement of said other end of the elbow about said axis to alternatively register with the chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line.

4. A valve according to claim 3 wherein the third chamber opening and the conduit opening adapted to be coupled to the second terminal end of the flow channel are concentric.

5. A valve according to claim 3 wherein the journalled end of the conduit includes a journal bearing surface and a thrust bearing surface.

6. A valve for use in circulating systems having pumping means, a supply line, a return line, and a flow channel having two termnal ends external of the pumping means through which fluid can be made to flow alternatively in either of two directions, said valve comprising a valve body having a chamber therein; said chamber having an opening adapted to lead to the supply line, a second opening adapted to lead to a return line, and a third opening adapted to couple the chamber and, a first end of the flow channel in fluid flow relationship; valving means includig a valving conduit movably mounted in the valve body, said conduit having first portage means alternatively registrable with the chamber opening leading to the supply line and to the return line when the conduit is moved between two alternative positions, said conduit having second portage means adapted to couple the conduit in fluid flow relationship to the second end of the flow channel, and when the conduit is in a position intermediate that which effects complete portage registry with either of the chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line, portions of said first portage means will simultaneously overlap and provide portage to portions of both the chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line.

7. A circulating system including pumping means and associated supply and return piping, said system comprising a channel external of the pumping means through which materials can be made to flow alternatively in either of two directions, said channel having two terminal ends, one terminal end of said channel surrounding a second terminal end of said channel to form an outer channel end and an inner channel end, a valve including a valve body having a chamber therein, an opening coupling said chamber in fluid flow relationship with the supply line, a second opening coupling said chamber in fluid flow relationship with the return line, a third opening coupling said chamber in fluid flow relationship with the outer terminal end of the flow channel; valving means, including a conduit having two end openings in said valve chamber, one end opening of said conduit being coupled in fluid flow relationship with the inner terminal end of the flow channel and the other end opening of the conduit being movable to alternatively register with and provide a passageway extending between the inner channel end and the supply line when the conduit is in one position and register with and provide a passageway extending between the inner channel end and the return line when said conduit is in a second position, and when said conduit is in a position intermediate said first and second positions, portions of the movable conduit end openings will sirnultaneously overlap portions of the two chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the flow channel ends are concentric.

9. Equipment for dyeing yarn packages comprising a dye kier having an opening therein, a yarn carrier assembly having a flow channel terminating in a flow channel fitting located axially interiorly of the dye kier opening; a valve having a chamber therein, said chamber having a supply line opening and a return line opening; means coupling said chamber and the dye kier opening to provide a passageway from the dye kier to the valve chamber; means positioned within the dye kier-valve chamber passageway, coupling the flow channel fitting of the yarn carrier with a valving conduit, said conduit having a movable end opening which can be shifted into and out of registry with the supply line and return line openings leading to the valve chamber, and wherein portions of the movable conduit end opening will simultaneously overlap portions of the chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line when said movable end is in a position intermediate that which effects complete registry of the conduit end opening with either of the chamber openings leading to the supply and return lines.

10. Equipment according to claim 9 wherein the valving conduit includes an elbow shaped piece provided with a journal bearing at the end coupling said conduit with the carrier flow channel fitting, said conduit being rotatable about the journal bearing axis to bring the unjournaled end into and out of registry with the chamber openings leading to the supply line and to the return line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 584,902 Smallwood June 22, 1897 1,327,661 Dudley Jan. 13, 1920 2,600,521 Swisher June 17, 1952 2,633,009 Steverlynck Mar. 31, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,075 Germany July 10, 1906 824,736 France Nov. 18, 1937 

